The Unexpected Guest
by ShortAndSnarky
Summary: When the Fellowship split, Aragorn returned to Gondor to claim his throne, along with Legolas and Gilmli. But as Gondor falls prey to fear, Aragorn finds himself powerless to prepare for the coming war. Then, one particularly dark night, an unexpected guest arrives, bearing news essential to the survival of the shattered Fellowship's mission. Please enjoy and review!


**Hello again! I've been furiously writing and I'm happy to say I've got my first Lord of the Rings one-shot! Seriously, someone needs to invent a machine that takes the story in your head and puts it on paper automatically. I'd have so much spare time I could probably pass my classes (maybe ;) ). Any who, I took the idea of Aragorn claiming the throne immediately after the Fellowship splits and there being a second heir who was kidnapped/missing and put them together. I hope you enjoy this loooong one-shot! Please review and comment!**

The night in which the rider came was dark. Fitting, for these were dark times. Fear crept into the minds of the people; houses sat dark and empty, the lights within them extinguished. The gloom of the night seemed to press itself onto the city. Even the moon did not seem present, hiding behind dark clouds. The rider, too, was dark, on a great black horse, draped in a cloak of darkness that flapped in the dry wind. The only thing besides darkness in this town seemed to be the rider's eyes, for when fragments of moonlight shone out, the eyes reflected the light, flashing silver.

The rider continued the journey, always heading towards the looming castle that towered above this barren place. The hooded figure rode swiftly, knowing the importance of the message reaching the correct ears in time. Upon reaching the gate, the figure quietly murmured an incantation and the gates swung open. The guards stared blankly ahead, unseeing.

Pressing the horse harder, the figure raced towards the throne room at the heart of the castle. The throne room was the lightest room in the complex, with tinted windows that allowed both moon and sunlight to stream in. Two lonely thrones sat on either side of a deep blue carpet that stretched from the doors to the thrones, with several stone steps lead up to them. Perched on the rightmost chair was a man with wavy, black hair and piercing grey eyes. The grey was surrounded by bloodshot red. Dark circles encompassed each eye. With a stopped back, a sword hanging uselessly off his belt, and haggard expression, he looked like the figure of hopelessness. Sitting on the step below the throne was a dwarf with wild red hair and beard, two axes strapped to his back, and the fire of a madman in his eyes. Even if the hair and axes did not give away that he was a dwarf, his height would. Seated on the step below the man, the dwarf barely reached the man's kneecap. Pacing the room with a bow and a quiver full of arrows was a long-haired, blonde, blue-eyed elf. He contrasted the man on the throne rather sharply; youth and elderly, tired and alert, hopelessness and hope. The trio seemed to be missing something, or someone, like there was a space in both the room and their hearts that needed to be filled. The man kept glancing at the throne on his right, as if someone had once sat there and the man kept turning to talk to them, forgetting they were no longer there.

As he sank deeper into this melancholy thoughts, the hooded figure burst into the room, horse foaming at the mouth. Quickly dismounting, the figure approached the throne with caution and sank into a hasty bow. The dwarf, startled, joined the elf's side. Recovering his composure, the dwarf abruptly blurted,

"Who are you and how did you get in?" Ignoring him, the rider addressed the man on the throne.

"Lord Aragorn," she began, "I come bearing news from Lady Galadriel." The elf stepped forward, cautious and curious.

"How do we know we can trust you?" The stranger cocked her head.

"It is a dark time indeed, when one can no longer trust the word of an old ally." The person pointed to the pin holding her cloak together-two metal leaves, intertwined. "The symbol of the Lady's trust. As I understand, Legolas, the Fellowship all have one as well." Legolas moved to ask her another question, but the girl turned back to Aragorn. She spoke in a hushed tone.

"I have been gathering intelligence for Lord Elrond regarding the Sauron's forces. I encountered a traveling legion of Uruk-hai and had to retreat. The Lady of Light sheltered me only a few days after your Fellowship left. She revealed your intentions and enlisted me to assist you in you mission." Legolas moved closer to the girl.

"Why come here? If the Lady of Galadhrim believes you can track the Ring, why stop? Speak."

said Aragorn. Both Legolas and Gimli seemed taken aback. It had been a long time since they had heard the Lord's voice. The stranger ducked her head.

"You still do not believe me. Very well. I do not expect anything less." She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself. "I was so young, I barely remember it. It's one of those memories that's so old, you start to doubt if it even happened. I grew up in a village on the outskirts of Gondor. A couple woke up one morning and found a baby wrapped in a blanket on their front step. No person, no message, nothing. They couldn't have children, but they still wanted one, and here was one, helpless and in need. They took the baby in and raised it. They never told the girl she wasn't theirs. The girl grew up in the village, blissfully ignorant, happy. Until one day, about five years later, a group of Uruks attacked the village." She swallowed hard. If she hadn't had the ability taken away from her, tears would have fallen from her face. "They killed everyone in the village. Then they burned it to the ground. There was a single survivor, a child who crawled out from under the rubble and collapsed in front of the Uruks. They took the girl back to their master, where he decided to take the child and create the perfect weapon. A human who could wield dark magic, something only the greatest elves and wizards even dared to speak of. The girl grew up in the dark tower alongside the foulest creatures in all of Middle Earth. Until, one day, when her training was nearly complete, she cast a spell the master had forbidden her to, one that allowed her to see into the past. And she saw how the Uruks slaughtered her people. Not long after that, she escaped the dark tower and made it all the way to Rivendell, Uruks and creatures of darkness trying to stop her at every turn."

"Then what happened?" asked Legolas, hanging on her every word.

"Lord Elrond took her in, teaching her to channel the magic in a constructive way. But he knew he had to keep her existence a secret, lest the master come looking. Grateful, the girl told him everything she knew about the master, including a project he had been working on- the forging of the One Ring. Eventually it was lost to time, but Elrond never forgot. He sent me to look for it a few weeks ago, which lead me to Mordor-" Aragorn held up a hand to cut the girl off.

"You? You are the child in the story?" The girl smiled sadly.

"Unfortunately, yes." Aragorn seemed at a loss for words, but Gimli spoke for him.

"What did you find in Mordor?"

"The day I arrived at the border, I saw Uruks carrying a pale, skinny, alien creature." She winced as she spoke the next words, as if she could feel the pain. "They tortured him for a week. The only words it said were 'Baggins' and 'Shire'. I reported this to Lord Elrond , who passed the information along to Gandalf. After I returned, Lady Galadriel sent word that Frodo had decided to take the Ring to Mordor alone. I went to the Lady and she showed me the river your Fellowship had taken when it left. I arrived at your location at the end of the battle between the Fellowship and the Uruk-hai. I saw the arrows in Boromir's chest and knew I could not help him. However, I saw the Uruk-hai taking Merry and Pippin and knew there was something I could do. I followed, trying to figure out how to help them escape without revealing myself." She hung her head.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't get to them. But that's why I've come here-"

"Why should we believe you?" asked Legolas, still unsure. The stranger pulled her hood down. All three of them gasped. She looked startlingly like Aragorn, save her copper-colored hair. The girl drew herself up, looking straight into Legolas' face.

"My name is Serafina, heiress to the throne of Gondor, trained in magic by Sauron himself, raised by the Lord of Rivendell. I did not come across Middle Earth and risk my life multiple times to be told I cannot deliver this message. So shove it!" she spat angrily. Aragon was bewildered.

"Elrond spoke of another heir, but I never thought-"

"Now is not the time, brother," Serafina replied gently. "I did not come to take your throne, but to relay a message regarding Merry and Pippin." She looked at the trio in turn, then spoke evenly.

"Isengard. They are taking the hobbits to Isengard."


End file.
